Out & About: Aurora

On my way back up the east side of Cayuga, I passed through the darling village of Aurora. I had been making a bee line for the MacKenzie-Childs retail shop, but this gorgeous Ginkgo caught my eye, and so I turned around.

Out & About: Ithaca

I visited Ithaca on Monday and stopped, as always, at Cornell Plantations. The Winter Garden, while only a few years old, is looking very fine. My pictures don't do it justice.

At the bottom is a leaf from the bigleaf magnolia, referenced below, in the groundcover garden.

Seats Available for Philly Tour

(From the Nov-Dec '06 UGJ) — Want to see the Philadelphia Flower Show in style? Michael Warren Thomas takes a group each year, and the visit encompasses a lot more than just the show, which is worth a trip in itself. This year there will be stops at Longwood Gardens and Winterthur, and as always, some excellent dining.
Spots are available for March 7 – 8 and March 10 – 11, 2007. The price of the trip, $340 per person (double occupancy) includes transportation, hotel, two lunches, continental breakfast, and an “elegant” closing dinner at Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel.
For details or to sign up, call 585/328-8300 or visit savorlife.com.

Naturally Green “First in Bloom” Contest

(From the Nov-Dec '06 UGJ) — Michael Warren Thomas’s “First in Bloom” contest has definitely expanded since the days when all you had to look for was the first snowdrop. For 2007 there are eight categories, from bulbs to perennials to vines, each with a prize of dinner for two. The first person to call Thomas after midnight on January 1, 2007, at 585/328-8300, with the first flowers blooming outdoors (not just in bud) in each of the categories, will win a dinner for two gift certificate. If you do happen to find the first snowdrop, your reward is dinner for two at Max of Eastman Place—pretty fancy.
Naturally Green airs Saturday mornings at 9 on WYSL am, 1040 in the Rochester area. Listen online and get full details about the contest at savorlife.com.

News from The Gardens—Photo Contest, Poinsettia Sale

(From the Nov-Dec '06 UGJ) — The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens’ annual photo contest in underway, with entries due by November 27th. Each submission should fall into one of the following categories: Flora, Architecture, or Human Interest. Fess are $10 for the first entry and $5 for each additional one.
Here’s a way to get your holiday plants while helping The Gardens at the same time. Orders for poinsettias will be accepted through November 10, with pick-up December 4 – 10.
For details, call 716/827-1584 or visit buffalogardens.com.

CNY Blooms Debuts This Spring

(From the Nov-Dec '06 UGJ) — Good news for garden lovers! The Central New York State Nursery and Landscape Association is busily planning its first ever independent flower and garden show, CNY Blooms. The event will be held at the OnCenter, a facility with a decidedly “outdoor” feel, right in the middle of Syracuse. There will be competition gardens, participation from local colleges, and garden club representation, plus seminars and educational presentations. The opening night preview party will benefit the Food Bank of Central New York.
CNY Blooms will take place March 1 –4, 2007, dates that will not conflict the two existing shows in our area: GardenScape, in Henrietta, March 15 – 18, and Plantasia, in Hamburg, March 22 – 25.
For more information, visit cnyblooms.com.

Shrub Coat in Production Locally

(From the Nov-Dec '06 UGJ) — Beaver Landscaping, Clarence-based producers of the Shrub Coat, announce that they have contracted with Depew’s Southeast Works, a company employing and training handicapped individuals in the community with job skills. Southeast Works will assemble and package the locally-manufactured product, a “better than burlap,” reusable, alternative for protecting shrubs from the winter ravages of wind, snow, ice, salt and animals.
Shrub Coat, the invention of owner Steve Bakowski, is made of green, breathable fabric on a pyramidal frame, and comes in various sizes to conveniently protect shrubs and bushes up to nine feet tall. This design helps dormant plants emerge green and healthy in the spring. And, as Steve’s wife and business partner Joyce points out, it is easy to incorporate into your holiday decorating scheme—just add lights.
For more information on the Shrub Coat, call 716/583-7872 or visit shrubcoat.com.

Dangerous Beauty

(From the Nov-Dec '06 UGJ) — Our cover image this issue is beautiful. But the invasive plant it depicts, autumn olive, is a threat to plants—and even animals— in our native environment. This juxtaposition is the theme of Christine Sevilla’s new series of images, “Thanatopsis.”
“The dangerous beauty of invasive plant species has brought them to new, alien locations where a less handsome weed would be quickly eradicated,” Sevilla writes. She hopes her project will encourage citizens to grow native plants and varieties of non-natives that are proven not to be invasive.
The artist has made twelve of the Thanatopsis images into her 2007 calendar. Each month is printed on a separate five by seven-inch card that fits into a simple, clear, plastic standing frame, which can be reused from year to year. The calendars are available at the Memorial Art Gallery Store, 500 University Ave, Rochester, or by calling 585/586-6085 (this number is WRONG in the print version) or e-mailing Sevilla at cs@luminguild.com. They are $20 each, or $15 for just the cards.
Sevilla is also planning an exhibit in 2007, and to publish a brochure this spring. To see more of her work, visit luminguild.com.
For information on what you can do to help control invasive species, visit ipcnys.org.

Susan Latoski Exits RCGC

ETTG is sad to report that Susan Latoski, long time Executive Director of the Rochester Civic Garden Center, has left in order to take a position with the Landmark Society. She will be sorely missed.

Given the untold hours I have spent with Susan over the past ten years, often with camera in hand, it amuses - and frustrates - me to not be able to come up with a lot of images of Susan in the Garden. I have plenty of shots of Susan's garden, and many of Susan on a Bike and Susan on Skis, but of Susan in the garden, this is the best I can come up with...and she's not even in focus (the bigleaf magnolia flower is!). I took this slide in '02 at one of our frequent visits to one of our favorite spots, Cornell Plantations.

I know Susan will knock 'em dead in her new job, and I wish her the best of luck and send her off with lots of love.

A new way to find the UGJ

Looking to pick up a copy of the latest UGJ? Check out our new map of distribution locations, updated with each issue (keep in mind that some outlets are only open seasonally).
UGJ Distribution Locations

Brian Eshenaur's New Gig

Brian Eshenaur is the UGJ's esteemed, essential, beloved Technical Editor. And whew! Even though he has a great new job, he's going to STAY our T. E. For the past couple of issues he's been concentrating on getting used to being an IPM Ornamental Educator for the (statewide) Cornell Cooperative Extension, so Judy Hubbard, who is also great, filled in (she'd been filling in for Brian at his old job at Monroe Extension, Horticulture Program Leader, as well).

Congratulations to Brian.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year....

That's right, folks. It's apple harvest season! Nirvana.

I'd like to report on two new varieties I discovered this week. Out at Burnap's Farm Market in Sodus, I picked up a single Zestar, and I could kick myself for not buying out their stock. This apple was so sweet, so juicy and crunchy, it had me talking to myself in the car. According to Mark at Whittier Fruit Farm in Gates, who also grows Zestar, "the side of the fruit facing the sun develops a sweet spot that’s brighter red and wildly flavorful." (Read Mark’s Guide to Apple Varieties.)

What I did pick up a bag of, at Burnap's, was another new one, Sansa. Not quite as sinfully sweet at Zestar, it is nontheless very sweet and juicy, with a lovely texture (I hate mealyness in apples) and perhaps a little more complexity to it, a little tartness.

Also, I understand this summer's been good for the Honeycrisps, which is a relief after last year—they were done at the end of September, it seemed! At least the Crispins were in good supply.

It's HERE!

P9030002.JPG
Originally uploaded by Jane Milliman.

I've been waiting for ages to see this plant in the flesh. Terra Nova teased me with a slide and a press release a few years ago, but when I asked them please to send a plug, they were all out. Grrrr. So yesterday, I'm taking a quick trip around the back gardens at Sara's in Brockport (quick because it's raining and I'm cold), when this little guy leaps out at me.

Mukdenia rossii 'Crimson Fans' is a petite groundcover for shade (yes, it will grow under trees—I've seen the green version doing well there at Cornell Plantations). I won't describe the foliage as you can see it for yourself here, and I haven't seen flowers or pictures of flowers, but being that it's a close relative, I image they're similar to that of garden saxifrage.

I didn't see Kathy to ask her whether she had any in stock, but if it's in her display garden, it can only be a matter of time.

Bargains Abound

P9030005.JPG
Originally uploaded by Jane Milliman.

Ah, September. The air cools, the energy soars, and the prices drop. I went around this weekend delivering magazines and found that pretty much everywhere I stopped there were bargains to be had. At the Garden Factory in Gates, there is a whole section of shrubs and grasses that are five dollars and change—I saw some good-looking Panicum 'Heavy Metal' in what I think were #15's. Towards the front they were offering the chelone pictured here, 'Hot Lips', for eight bucks, in gallons. Not exactly cheap, but not too bad, and the plants were healthy and fresh. Up at Harris Gardens on 250 in Penfield, Rosy's having a "yard sale," getting rid of some of the leftover stuff from the previous owners. Some excellent deals there on hard goods.

More Fall Garden Faire News

I want to post this update because I'm getting a lot of hits here from people searching for the Fall Garden Faire. It IS still on, it's on Saturday, NOT SUNDAY, September 9, and it's at the Cooperative Extension, NOT Knox Farm or Hamlin Park, 21 Grove St. East Aurora.

I won't be there this year. I can't believe it! It conflicts with the Gathering of Gardeners. Waaa. But Maria will. Stop and see her at the entrance, and pick up the latest UGJ.

What's Blooming Now

I got this clematis, 'Mrs. Robert Brydon', from the great plantswoman Joan Hoeffel, probably ten years ago. I've never seen it for sale in person since. In fact, until I visited Bluegrass Lane at Cornell earlier this month, I hadn't seen it at all in person since. It interested me that they had it in the test plot there. Does that mean it's being evaluted for market? I hope so. This is an excellent plant.

Mrs. Brydon isn't a climbing clematis. She's more of a sprawler. I like to prop her up on things. In one of the above images, she's propped up on the heptacodium, whose bloom time overlaps hers. In my old garden I used to encourage her to laze about in the Hosta plantaginea. Verrry pretty.

OK. Enough with the anthromorphizing. What's really cool about Mrs. Robert Brydon is the color of the flowers. They are little bells, perfect little baby blue bells. Powder, baby-boy blue. And we all know how tough it is to find true blue for the garden.

It's not the toughest plant; it took a couple of years to recover from its move across the street, and it doesn't spontaneously root at the nodes the way I wish it would (like some ground creepers do). Also, it's brittle, so you have to be careful not to step on it. In the early spring I cut back the woody stem, leaving a few sets of nodes, to get rid of all the dead stuff and to try to encourage branching.

Oh yum

P8110002.JPG
Originally uploaded by Jane Milliman.

OK, these tomatoes don't look too purple. But they are, in fact, 'Cherokee Purple'. They were pretty tasty, but of the 5 heirlooms I grew this year, I hate to say it, but...'Brandywine' is the best tasting. I know, I know. Brandywine this Brandywine that. It's just a good tomato.

Cherokee Purple is prettier though.

Come with me to the Chelsea Flower Show & More!

May 19 - 27, 2007, Publisher Jane Milliman will accompany a group of Western New York garden lovers to England, to visit some great gardens (Sissinghurst and Great Dixter, for starters) and attend the Chelsea Flower Show.
If you are interested in joining the group, please e-mail jane AT janemilliman DOT com for more information.

Perfectly, Naturally Elusive

I wrote about this product, Perfectly Natural Weed Killer, in my D&C column a while back, and yes, it's very good and I do use it myself around the house. (The kids always think someone is making applesauce. Or pie. Or pickles!) My readers have had a really tough time finding it though. I am sorry about that! Wal-Mart did carry it in the spring but didn't re-order when (or should I say EVEN THOUGH) it sold out. Home Depot doesn't carry it in the East. And they don't quite have the independent garden centers lined up yet, either.
So. To buy it, for now, you have to order it at this Web site:
uniquenaturalandorganicproductsrus.com
Sorry for the inconvenience.

...And We Have a Few More!

I'm not worthy.

That's really how I felt on Tuesday, at Bluegrass Lane at Cornell University in Ithaca, judging the Kathy Pufal memorial container competition put on by the Cooperative Extension in conjunction with its annual Field Days. I mean, in comparison to the talent that was on display, my own home containers are pretty lame. Not to mention the two pros on my team: Donna Moramarco from martin Viette, and Cornell Plantations's Liz Brown (have you SEEN the containers at Plantations?), who knew exactly what they were doing. I learned a lot.

Our team judged the Unlimited category, which basically is anything other than a hanging basket or a 16 inch patio pot. I'm not sure how the images will stack up on this post, but the wagon was first place and the chest second, and they were both submitted by Wallkill View Farms in New Paltz. Third place was captured by first-time entrant Country Power Products out of Greenwich.

Here is the total line-up of winners as announced by Cornell:

Basket
3rd: (Tie) B1, Lockwood’s Greenhouses, Hamburg, NY, and
B4, Adams Fairacre Farms, Poughkeepsie, NY
2nd: B7, Mischler’s Florist, Williamsville, NY
1st: B9, Little York Plantation, Little York, NY

Unlimited:
3rd: N9, Country Power Products, Greenwich, NY
2nd: N1, Wallkill View Farms, New Paltz, NY
1st N2, Wallkill View Farms, New Paltz, NY

16-inch
3rd: P3, Wallkill View Farms, New Paltz, NY
2nd: P2, Wallkill View Farms, New Paltz, NY
1st: P12, Zema’s Nursery, Stephentown, NY